


Control

by MythicalDarkness



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Darkness, Feels, Friendship, Heavy Angst, Implied Soriku, Lots of Disney Worlds with a meaning, M/M, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-05 21:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20495582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicalDarkness/pseuds/MythicalDarkness
Summary: Riku’s never been one to show his feelings to others, not even Sora. But they say it’s dangerous to bottle them up forever, one short slip could make everything fall. After Sora and the gang return to Destiny Islands after defeating Xemnas, Riku becomes overwhelmed when he is haunted by a dark cloaked figure who doesn't belong to Xehanort or the organization.Riku is thrown into a new world that isn't his own, searching for the meaning behind why the darkness in his heart is brewing once again. What Riku ends up on is a journey of self-discovery as he realizes who he is and those who are most important to him.When everything shatters, Sora is there to help Riku pick back up the pieces.(Pre Kingdom Hearts 3)Also featuring Moana, Inside Out, and Frozen





	1. Chapter One: The Keyweilder of Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> At first, this was supposed to be a four-chapter fanfic of Riku after returning to the islands (which I can work on and post separate if you want) But my mind gave me ideas and now this will be much longer. It will hopefully feel more like the game since it will be featuring disney worlds (and all of them have a certain theme for Riku)  
I've put a lot of thought into this and I really hope you enjoy it. I won't have an upload schedule since I have school and possibly two jobs I will start working this week. Depending on how I feel, there may be times where I upload a ton and sometimes where it takes a week for me to upload a chapter. Please stay patient with me as I write this fanfic, as I want it to upload it in its best work. I apologize if it takes me a while to get back to your comments if you do say something, I have social anxiety so it may take a while for me to look at it.

The deep blue ocean water was wrapping itself tightly around Riku’s thin and ruptured frame as if it were darkness that was vexing to pull him into its menacing and robust grip. It ran through his clothes, which were pressed tightly against his pale skin, revealing the lack of food in the boy’s diet by his jutting ribs. Without the rippling muscles that bulged out of his arms, he would have looked like he could snap in two.

The ocean would have felt more like poison if not for the warmth that wafted from it that was sucked into the silver keyblade man's body as he leaned himself on his back, allowing the water to hold him up as he closed his stunning blue eyes that had small glimmers of pain and guilt. A low noise left his lips, full of exhaustion. The darkness in his heart had made it’s way to his mind, teasing him as his eyes threatened to stay shut.

The water reminded him of the darkness. The darkness that had become part of him long ago.

**The dawn’s light is shedding even brighter, it’s time for a new day.**

**You have a choice: Will you accept?**

The warm breeze blew gently around his face, and the salty essence from the water was strong. Memories flashed through his head of three friends in black coats sitting atop a clock tower sharing ice cream that held the same strong scent. Flashes of pain and curiosity plagued his mind as it fell blank when the salt became overwhelming.

It ran through his nose and throughout his body. The small prickles wrapped themselves around tendrils underneath his skin and throughout dark blue veins that ran with reborn blood. The blood pumped it’s way over to his Lungs that burst out as they choked for air, bloating out so large that it felt as if the salt had made its way into them, leaving no room for air to flow. 

Then his heart.

What was dyed black began to burn in agony as pricklets of salt made their way onto the surface, burning holes where the cold and emptiness would forever remain a part of him.

This smell told Riku that he was finally home at Destiny Islands. 

**You’ve grown throughout your journey… But will you be able to overcome the darkness?**

Riku’s eyes snapped open as he pushed himself back up and locked his eyes on the shore. Others would have been confused at first glance. There wasn’t a such thing as a talking mouse; a tall, walking dog; and a duck with a big attitude that was heard of in many worlds. In this world, those three were the best friends of the brunette boy that was crouched onshore in from of a girl that was his age. 

All of this, it made perfect sense.

The red-haired girl grabbed the brunette's hand. He was using his other hand to wipe his tearful eyes as he looked up at her with the biggest grin he could manage. The sparkles of happiness in both their eyes hid the pain that the two had shared. An everlasting lifetime of struggles and loss being sewed together with one squeeze of a hand as the brunette was pulled up from his knees and into a tight hug. 

_ Sora. _

Sora’s eyes were a striking blue like Riku’s. Unlike the silver teenager, the pain in Sora’s eyes didn’t run so deep into his veins. The brunette had fought many people, but he hadn’t hurt anyone to the extent as the other had. Riku was more stone-cold than the brunette. The little things that the brunette had done would easily cause him to wake up in the middle of the night with damp sheets and flooded eyes. That pain that Sora felt could be diminished to a small scratch on his heart with the comfort of the ones around him. 

The circle around the boy looked like it was big enough. With the mouse, the dog, the duck, and the girl. It didn’t make much sense how there could be room for one more, one who had darkness that was engraved in his heart. There wasn’t any promise that he could be manipulated again for one’s sake. As long as he sat there in the darkest corners that would be taken notice of, there would be danger.

There was no way that a spot of darkness could exist in such a large circle of light...

**The road to dawn has finally shed to day. Will you stay or turn back to the comforting night?**

“Hey, Riku!” A voice echoed out from shore. “Are you going to stay there all night?” 

Riku shielded his eyes from the bright light that reflected off the boy’s silver, crown-shaped necklace. As the blinding light faded from his vision, his squinted eyes met his friend’s. Everyone else had disappeared from the corners of Riku’s eyes. All that was left was the bright smile that belonged to the one person that was most precious to him. Without a doubt, he would put his life on the line just so his friend could have a few seconds of happiness. His friend was much more important to Riku than his own well-being.

**Have you made a choice?**

A noise that sounded inhuman rose in the silver boy’s throat. It sounded like a growl that belonged to a beast, rather than a human. The frown on his cracked lips turned up into a smile. What was intended to come out looking optimistic lacked the emotion that was wanted. His smile revealed all the pain that he had been feeling before he ended up floating in this endless expanse of water. Riku waved his hand, a friendly gesture as he brushed his bangs from his eyes.

“Maybe I just want to avoid the crowd of nobodies!” The male’s voice was gruff, making it sound like more of an insult than a joke. Deeper in, it held that same playfulness that he always had whenever he would tease his friends.

“Hey!” The short-tempered duck, Donald, snapped as he crossed his arms in a pout. He tapped his orange foot against the sand. “Who are you calling a nobody!?”

Riku’s smile grew sadder as he cocked his head and stared down at his reflection. His long silver hair was tangled and greasy as it hung limp under his shoulders. His bangs covered his eyes, hiding the haunted look that he would have seen when he looked down at himself. A year ago, his eyes wouldn’t have shown such weakness. They would have held a fierce undying light that would have been hard to take away.

Like a light, it disappeared. Just like Riku's arrogance and stone hard personality. Everything, his feelings, his light, his heart, it was now a broken record that was being played. Bits and pieces were mixed up and tangled far worse than his hair. His mind told him that certain things didn’t matter anymore when they would have before he gave into the darkness. It reminded Riku of the memories that were scattered from Sora’s heart, ending up in two nobodies. There was no Namine that could fix these broken things in his heart, only himself.

**Will you turn back to the darkness?**

Through his reflection, the water was pitch black. There was no telling what could be hiding deep in those depths. 

_ Darkness... _

Riku had given into it too easily. Being manipulated by his hurt feelings for his friend who had surpassed him, he was turned into a puppet. He became nefarious, inducing the uttermost anguish of his friend without realizing while using the other as a puppet to draw Sora closer to despair. He had no control over what came out of his mouth. Xehanort- or Ansem, had gotten into his mind, looking into all his memories, and most importantly, his heart. Xehanort had found every sensitive needle to prick at in Riku’s heart, making him say things he wouldn’t have spoken to Sora’s face, but did because he was under the overwhelming influence of the darkness.

Did he deserve them? 

The darkness in his heart would never leave him. Riku had allowed it to become a part of him. Even as he controlled it, the darkness filled him with feelings that made him tempted to shove the keyblade in his heart and release it. The heart that he was given was damaged enough beyond repair, there was still a long way to go for a man like him who had just crawled out of the hole of deadly silent night. The sins he had committed stuck to him like the stickiest glue.

It showed. In Riku's long tangly hair, his thin frame, and the bruises that were littered all over his body. Anybody could tell how much he had desperately tried to make up for his actions. They were all created in stories that didn’t want to leave Riku’s lips. Because in all of the stories, Riku had shown more weakness than he wanted to muster. When he was the one to hold everyone’s burdens up, weakness couldn’t be shown.

Maybe all that Riku craved for then was full-hearted forgiveness. His mind was pleading with his heart to be littered with dark memories; His dark heart was crying to forget the painful emotions he had felt since he had awoken from his slumber in the darkness.

But even if he could forget it, Riku knew that he would still see those cold-blooded golden eyes staring at him from in the darkness.

Riku thought he could see a small sparkle of gold in his eyes. It made him wince as he looked away from his reflection to the sunset that was behind him, the feeling in his heart told him to turn around. He barely recognized himself, this reflection couldn’t be him, this couldn’t be real. For all he knew, Xehanort could have created a fake illusion for Riku to trick himself into falling into the darkness once more.

Riku knew better than to ponder the thoughts of things that were so unnecessary, not when his heart was yearning to get closer to the warmth that was on the shore. 

“I guess I would fit right in,” he quietly joked to himself. His body gave a silent shutter in agreement as he finished. “I’m a bigger nobody than they will ever be.”

The light from the sunset reflected back on the crown-shaped necklace. Riku closed his eyes as he swam to shore, a feeling growing in his gut as he was brought back to the time where he walked around with a blindfold. He wore it to hide the things he didn’t want to see himself do. The thought made him force his eyes back open as the light burned into his eyes. His chest began to burn, relishing the warmth that was beginning to repair the tiny cracks in the corners.

He wanted this.

Riku needed this.

Then out of the blinding light, Riku could see a black-gloved hand reaching out. Riku’s right hand was hesitant, slightly shaking as it reached up hopefully, gripping onto it unsurely as if it would disappear. Sora wrapped his fingers tightly around Riku’s hand, a silent answer that told him that this was vigorously reality, and the silver boy was overwhelmed with the feeling of comfort. It felt like he was a child again being comforted by his mother. 

Safe.

As the sunlight burned into his soul, it spread throughout his body into the hand that was gripping Sora’s so tightly. Sora’s hand was so steady, Riku could have believed that Sora was a large tier higher than he was in strength. It was wrapped so tightly around Riku’s that it stopped the noticeable shaking as Riku’s eyes lifted up and looked into Sora’s. His eyes were glittering from the sunlight. Riku could have melted into them, allowing every painful rack in his body to grow into numbness as he fell into a long slumber, seeing nothing but dark blue happiness that belonged to his friend, and the promise that he would be alright.

Their gazes locked for only a second, to Riku, it felt like much longer. Everything around him stayed still as he looked deeper into Sora’s eyes. He was able to see the journey that the brunette had been on before he had found Riku. 

Sora was on one knee as he was surrounded by hoards of heartless. His eyes were half shut as he panted for breath before pushing himself up and throwing himself in battle.

The brunette watched a man in a black cloak disappear in smoke before looking down with pain-filled eyes, the hand holding his keyblade was trembling.

Sora was on his knees as he tightly grasped at an older looking man’s hand. Tears ran down his red and blotchy hands as he sobbed out, “I looked everywhere for you!”

The brunette had done all of this for him. While Riku had hidden away in the shadows, Sora had fought countless battles and had his hope diminish little by little as doubtless seeds were plotted in his mind.

“I’m here now.” Riku wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat as Sora blinked fondly at him. The brunette was quick to forgive. There was gentleness in Sora’s eyes as time started once again and Riku could feel the presence of the others at his and Sora’s side.

“We’re finally home…” Sora choked out as he pulled Riku to his feet.

“Yeah…” Riku agreed, hiding the thick emotion in his voice as he smiled back at Sora and gave a small nod.

Sora’s hand let go of his, and the air felt cold as it swirled around Riku’s bare hand and clung to his raw skin. His arm fell limply to his side as Sora turned to look at Kairi and the others with a friendly smile.

“Why don’t we go sit by the shore and share our adventures?” He suggested, his voice hoarse from crying. “I would love to hear what you’ve been up to Mickey!”

The others let out noises of agreement as Sora left Riku’s side, his shoes digging through the soft, golden sand as they headed down the beach. Kairi followed close behind him with prep in her steps, walking beside Goody and Donald. Mickey stood in his place and looked back up at Riku with the jolly smile that always seemed to be painted on his face.

“Are you coming, Riku?” Mickey asked.

Mickey was the king of Disney Castle. It was a big deal being this close to someone of royalty. Mickey was different from the other kings that Riku had heard of. He didn’t need to be formal around Mickey, the mouse was more like a close friend than a king. Mickey had saved Riku from his own fair deal of troubles, such as falling into the despair of darkness when he was at his lowest. There weren’t any words that could describe the special bond between Mickey and the Silver-haired boy, it was different from Riku’s friendship with Sora.

Riku smiled down at him and took a step towards the mouse. As his foot left his side, his body became unbalanced. A writhing pain rushed through his side, and Mickey disappeared from Riku’s side as his vision was replaced with pure white. Riku caught a recent memory of a sword being swung at his side, giving a hard blow to his body that was difficult to recover from. The pain there still lingered. Without anyone to hold him up, Riku couldn’t do anything but stumble around a few steps before losing the use of his legs as the pain took control of his joints.

A noise escaped his throat, a shrill cry of pain being mixed with a hiss as, what felt like fire, racked through Riku’s body. The pain was rushing through his veins into his lungs that were screaming for breath. His heart hammered against his ribcage, not feeling the same extent of agony as the rest of his body. It took several seconds for Riku to finally remember how to breathe. When he could, he breathed in nothing but hot, tiny particles that made Riku choke.

As Riku choked and wheezed for breath, he could see the blurry figures in front of him as they stopped. Dark spots were eating away at the corners of his vision, threatening to start nabbing away towards the center and taking away the last of the light that he could faintly see. The mobbed voices were mangled, but one of them was more evident than the others.

“Riku!” 

Riku caught his breath as he recognized Sora’s voice. The brunette took a few long strides and was at Riku’s side before anyone else. A hand was placed on Riku’s shoulder, squeezing it as Sora looked worriedly into his eyes.

“Is he okay?” Kairi asked as she followed Sora. Her eyes were full of worry as they looked at Riku, who quickly looked away.

“I’m fine,” Riku grunted. Asking for help was the last thing Riku wanted to do. Sora’s hand left his shoulder, and Sora walked a few steps away and was replaced with Mickey.

“Did you hurt yourself in the battle?” Mickey asked, sounding more upbeat than the others. “I can use some of my healing magic to help the pain go away.” 

Mickey’s gloved hand reached for Riku’s side. As the tips of his fingers grazed across the tips of his white turtleneck that felt way too tight on Riku’s body, Riku was caught off guard as he heard a voice in his ear.

**Come, boy, give into the darkness, and you will be given the strength to take down the boy you despise so much.**

The white-gloved hand grew thin and long, sending Riku into a flurry of shock as a hiss left his mouth. Without thinking, his hand instinctively slapped it away roughly, intending to bring out pain to the other. It didn’t occur to him that it was intentional, the only thing that mattered to Riku at that moment was moving the attention away from him, and he snapped his head to the right, searching for the vessel that the voice belonged to.

“Don’t touch me!” Riku could hardly recognize his own voice. For a second, he thought that Ansem was still in control of his body. Riku felt his heart stop as he lay still and kept his eyes on the sand, his face growing hot. Never had he sounded so defeated and angry towards one of his friends. Usually, Riku wasn’t the one to lash out at others unless he was under the influence of darkness. 

Mickey had taken a few steps back, the mouse’s jaw was still hanging open. Mickey’s hand was still outstretched, although it was apparent that he didn't intend for Riku to grab on. Behind him, he heard the king’s friends cry in alarm.

“Your majesty!” 

“Riku…”

Riku felt worse when he noticed that Sora and Kairi had left his side. It hurt more when Riku saw the look of fear in Kairi’s eyes. She had put herself protectively behind Sora, who was watching Riku with a broken expression that made his heart waver. Sora was reaching out for Riku as he stood still. It reminded Riku of how Sora looked all those times before when he had tried to save him from the darkness. Seeing the look caused a flash of pain through Riku’s gut as he looked away from his friend in shame.

“Your Majesty…” Riku choked out. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Riku!” Mickey chirped. 

His expression appeared fake because Riku could easily sense the fear that the King felt. The majesty’s hand fell limply to his side and hung there like a ragdoll. During his time with the Organization, Riku had gotten enhanced scent and sight. It made him susceptible to reading someone’s face and knowing the full truth. As he ran through Castle Oblivion, there were moments where he had gagged as he was met with a robust horrendous stench from the organization members. It was a small far worse than death, it was enough to make Riku wonder if the smell of darkness was made from the disgusting vile in everyone's hearts.

It wasn’t that difficult to smell the fear in the air that wafted off his friends as they watched him. The silence was deafening. There was a silent scream in the air that Riku could assume that belonged to him. He swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat and squeezed his eyes shut, wishing that he could just disappear and wake back up in the Realm of Darkness.

“I know you’ve been through a lot while you were alone,” Mickey continued. “I don’t blame you for being cautious.”

That’s not it at all! Riku wanted to scream out. He hated relying on others, especially the king who wasn’t supposed to be wasting his magic on an injury like this when he was so worn out in the first place.

Riku felt overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Everyone’s eyes were on him. Few held fear, while others held hostility. Riku was overcome with the feeling of wanting to get up and run. It would have been nice if he could get his damaged body off the ground. The only one that wasn’t staring at him with nothing but worry was Sora. Riku expected that of him, Sora always saw the good in people. Even if they’ve done many things to hurt him, he would still be naive and forgive them, just like he did Riku. Seeing the look in Sora’s eyes made Riku yearn for him even more.

All he had been doing for the past year after the brunette woke up from his long sleep was hide in the shadows and watch him. He felt too embarrassed by what had become of his own body to show himself. Sora had brokenheartedly shared his doubts and fears of not finding Riku throughout the whole trip while Riku stood there and watched. Right now Riku finally had the chance of holding his friend close and apologizing for every bad thing he had done- Along with what he had just done now of course...

Sora found his way back to Riku’s side with a soft smile and outstretched hand. “Come on, Riku. I’ll help you up.”

Riku was about to wave his hand away as well and said that he was fine. Even staring into those blue eyes made it difficult to say much of anything. It was easy for Riku to lose themselves in those blue pools that felt like light shedding in Riku’s heart. He lay there, feeling frozen and exposed as Sora’s hand grew closer to his.

Riku didn’t react as his hand was grabbed, and he stumbled as he pulled himself up. Another searing pain shot through his side and Riku fought back a gasp as he leaned back against Sora’s side.

Riku opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The warmth from Sora’s side made the pain feel almost nonexistent, even though it was there. Riku relaxed as he pressed his body against Sora, feeling the trembling of his legs. The only thing he could do was stare at the ground in shame and avoid the looks of the others. If he already didn’t have enough to make up for...

“I want to go to my room,” Riku grumbled as he grabbed the hand that Sora had wrapped around his body, tightly, and squeezed it. It made him feel less insecure as Sora held him even tighter to keep his grip.

“But don’t you want to stay with us? We are going to have a party now that all of us are together again!”

Riku winced and looked away.  _ A Party? _ He couldn’t go to the party, not with everyone else around as awkward enough as it was. It would have been different if it was only Sora and Kairi. With just the three of them, it seemed entirely possible that Riku could start to forget everything that had happened the past two years. The thought of having a crowd of people that brought nothing but painful reminders around him made Riku feel slightly fearful of himself. He had no idea if the darkness in his heart was truly gone, he may lose himself and hurt everyone, just like he had lashed out at Mickey without thinking.

It has been months since he had a healthy human connection. The only time he was around someone consisted of him sharing uprising trouble with DiZ and a few chit chats here and there. The simplest way to put it: He had been alone for a while. That made his mind foggy to the point where Riku forgot simple things, even friendly gestures felt like a new language.

Being alone in his room seemed like a good start to coming back. Then, maybe he would feel more open to chatting to someone else that wasn’t Sora or Kairi. At the moment, it made him feel nauseous at the thought that one of them would push him to talk about what he had been doing over the past year and a half. Riku didn’t want to talk about it, let alone think about it. Reliving those horrid memories was enough to push Riku to breaking point.

Sora looked disappointed as he led him towards the boats at the dock. A few moments earlier, he had told the others that he would be back in a few minutes. Their homes existed on another Island that was separate from this one. Riku lived several houses down from Sora, who was the neighbor of Kairi. The three of them would get together all the time and come down to play on the Island they were on now.

Sora seemed impatient. His legs moved quicker than Riku could follow, and Riku let out a grunt as he fell to his knees. 

“Riku! I’m sorry!” Sora apologized as he helped him up.

“Couldn’t you try and go a bit slower?” Riku didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in his voice. 

Sora looked away and gave a small nod. Riku silently cursed at himself for snapping at him. It wasn’t Sora’s fault, all the brunette wanted to do was hang out with his friends. But the question lingered on Riku’s mind. Wasn’t Sora even the least bit tired? They had just defeated Xemnas only a few hours ago, and the brunette was still as energetic as ever. 

It did make sense. Sora always had a snippet of energy that he could pull out of nothing. Sora slowed his pace and tried to keep the conversation lighthearted.

“Maybe once you heal up, we can have a duel. I’ve gotten stronger!”

“We’ll see about that,” Riku grunted with a smirk. “I could take you down in a few seconds right now.”

“Really? Let’s see you try!”

There were times such as these when he was fighting that Riku could force himself to fight through the pain. It was what he had learned when he used the darkness: Riku could use the agonizing pain in his body and use it to create stronger attacks. What wasn’t intended was how powerful Riku had been when he snatched Sora’s wrist and flung it behind his back. It was usual for Riku to not realize how strong he was.

Sora let out a quiet gasp as he was bent over with his arm behind his back. Riku stood over him with a prideful smirk. A thrill ran through his body, and he was brought back to the times where he and Sora would spend their days in the hot blazing sun. Sweat would be dripping down Riku’s face, soaking in his shirt as he dueled with Sora, wooden swords in their hands that they had made out of a fallen tree.

It was this kind of satisfaction that made Riku feel strong. The kind that made him think entirely sure that he would be able to protect his friends from anything. Hearing the laughter that came from Sora’s mouth made Riku’s chest feel warm. 

This was what he had been missing most of all.

The bond that he and Sora shared, just the two of them.

**The road of day leaves no promises that things will be the same.**

Sora was watching Riku as he let go of his arm with a smirk. He rubbed his wrist, and Riku took notice of the bright red fingermarks that he had left. Riku’s opened his mouth to shoot an apology, but Sora beat him to the punch. The next sentence that left his mouth made Riku’s blood run cold.

“Are you sure you aren’t using the darkness?”

It came out as a joke, but that didn’t stop Riku from wincing away from Sora’s grip and stumbling back a few steps, collapsing onto one knee. Sora’s smile faded as he realized what he had said. What had been a precious moment for both of them turned into uttermost silence. Sora’s eyes were foggy when he looked down at Riku. His mouth was hanging open, but no voice came out as he struggled to find the words to speak. It was already too late, what was said had already sent a violent surge through Riku’s body as he was shoved back into reality.

There was no way that anything could be the same.

“Riku, I didn’t mean that!” Sora eventually spat out as he took a step forward. He reached out a hand to pull Riku up, and the older boy shrugged it away coldly. 

“You’re not wrong. Maybe you should get back to Kairi and your friends.”

“Riku…” Hurt flashed across Sora’s face as his hand began to tremble. He looked at the boats beside them then back to the others who were across the Island. Sora looked like he was struggling, Riku didn’t have the temper than to point it full fledgedly out.

“You don’t want me keeping you from your party.” Riku hoped that Sora couldn’t hear the venom in his voice as he pushed himself to his feet. He staggered forward a few steps and straightened his back, fighting the blossoming pain that was stinging from his side. “I’ll be fine from here.”

“I’m sorry…” Sora mumbled before stumbling off down shore. Riku watched him go. He didn’t like the feeling of regret that was growing in his gut about sending Sora away.

Riku gritted his teeth as he pushed himself back on both feet and stumbled towards the boat that sat a few feet away onshore. As he stepped over into the boat, he half-collapsed onto the bottom, hissing in pain as he relaxed. The ores of the boat sat beside him, and Riku grabbed them, taking in the sweet sensation that he remembered from whenever he would row himself to the Island.

Riku grunted as he set the boat off into the deep abyss. The blue waters were darkening from the fading light. Riku stared out at the sky as the boat gently made its way down the ocean. The Island wasn’t in view just yet, but Riku couldn’t help the prick of excitement at the thought of seeing it again. 

He could see the clear sky filled with stars. In the distance, he noticed a few growing clouds that promised rain. It was silent. The silence oddly felt more like a comfort to him now than before, maybe he had gotten used to it after all? It told Riku that perhaps he had been alone too long. The darkness cast it’s shadow over the sea, and Riku closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. The boat felt much more comfortable than it should have. Riku’s pondering thoughts were lost in the depths of the sea as the stars lit the sky one by one.

What Riku couldn’t have seen then if he had opened his head to gaze at all the stars, was the one brightly colored star that blinked out, being replaced by darkness.

  
  


Riku hadn’t expected it to be this difficult. Standing in front of the wooden door that led inside his home, he couldn’t get the strength to grab the handle. He didn’t know what lay beyond that door, and it didn’t make sense why it made him want to tremble at the thought of it. His parents weren’t like Sora’s, they didn’t give him unconditional love.

Riku’s father never paid much attention to him. He would often get lost in his bottle of beer as he watched the television in front of him. Riku still admired him though for his stone-cold courage and strong will. His mother often told him stories of her life on the island when she was younger. She never bothered to do much more than cook for Riku.

He never cared anyways at his young age. Riku didn't do anything but hang out with Sora anyways. He reached out and grasped the handle, pulling it open. Inside he couldn’t see anything but pitch darkness. A gasp left his mouth as he was met with the strong scent of dust. It was much too quiet for a place that was lived in.

Riku felt around for the switch. As he flipped it on, he realized why the scent of dust was so strong. The tables and counters, or maybe everything, looked like it hadn’t been touched for ages. Riku gulped and took a few steps in. This didn’t feel like home, not to him. As he sucked in every small detail, laughter bubbled up in his throat and flew out without warning. It sounded more like a sob, but Riku’s eyes weren’t watering.

“Hmph, I guess they got sick of waiting for me,” Riku chuckled. 

Talking to himself was a habit that Riku had gotten while he was on his own. It was the closest he was able to get to comfort.

The furniture was still where it had been before Riku left. He could see the same scratches on the armrest of the chair that his father had made when his favorite Blitzball team would lose. His mother’s sewing machine sat in the corner of the living room. Around it was littered with glass from what looked like a glass bottle. As he looked closer, he caught a glimpse of dark crimson blood that looked months old.

“It’s best I don’t stand here and stare,” Riku grunted out loud. “I just want to sleep.”

Climbing up the stairs was the worst part. Every step left a stinging pain in his side that made Riku’s eyes sting. His hands were gripping the railing so tightly that Riku swore he heard a crack. His body was shaking with exhaustion by the time he made it to the top of the stairs. By then, Riku’s legs were too weak to support him, and he had to rely on the sheer strength of his upper body.

If it wasn’t bad collapsing twice, he had to do it again. By the time he made it to his room, Riku was positive that he had bruised knees. 

He could see his bedroom door creaked open right in front of him. Riku pushed his way in and took in the sight of the one safe haven he had known since he was a child. The bedroom wasn’t big, but it certainly wasn’t too small either. His bed still had sheets that were blue with waves, it had been given to him for his eleventh birthday because of his love for the water. A wooden toy sword sat in the corner. Riku’s mouth hung open as he recognized it as the sword that Sora, and he had used to duel. A faint smile played on his lips as he stared at it for several minutes, being filled with good memories of the times when Sora and he would play. Back at the times when Riku felt inferior to the world.

There was a drawing on the wall that looked more like lines and scribbles. Riku was able to quickly turn the scribbles into an illustration of two boys holding wooden swords. It was a drawing that Sora had made when they were very young, back when they didn’t care about leaving the island. It was before Kairi had shown up and taken his spotlight. Riku looked away and tried to not ponder the old memories that both of them had shared before Kairi had come and stolen Sora’s attention.

Something black caught Riku’s eye. This wasn’t something that brought him any memories of his past life. This object hadn’t been there before Riku left. It was sitting on his bed. At first, Riku wondered if it was a trash bag, but when he pulled it onto the floor with him, he began to feel dread at the homespun fabric that he was holding in his hands. Riku’s breath caught in his throat as the scent of grime and blood hit his nose, a smell that was so familiar to him.

It was a smell that he would rather not remember. It made his lungs burn as Riku held his breath, trying not to inhale what wafted off the cloth. He could recognize this from anywhere, he had been wearing it for a whole year after all. It was a long black robe that none other than the members of Organization Xiii wore. Riku had never been part of it, but he was given it to mask his identity and protect his body from the darkness that had been haunting him at the time. Thinking back at it, that may have been the lowest point in Riku’s life.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” He growled as he searched around the room for another ungodly presence. His room appeared empty. Even as Riku tried to smell out for anything that didn’t smell like it belonged, the cloak would overpower it. It wasn’t like Riku had wanted to wash it all that often, he at least smelt much better than a good half of the Organization's members. 

There was a white slip in one of the sleeves that caught Riku’s eye that he shakingly pulled out and read.

_ For the biggest nobody of them all. You can’t escape what you are. _

Riku’s mouth grew dry, and he sat frozen for a few moments. Then, the anger in his body became too much, and Riku let out a yell as he chucked the robe across the room. It landed on his wooden sword, and both crumbled to the ground. Riku was panting loudly as he stared at it. He wasn’t sure if he should feel scared or furious. Riku had left that thing behind in the World That Never Was. How had someone grabbed it and brought it back?

They were the only people to escape, meaning that either someone from the Organization was still alive, or one of the ones standing outside had done it. The thought made Riku feel dizzy.

What if it was Sora? The thought made Riku gasp. No. Sora wouldn’t do that! Sora was his best friend. There was no way he would have done that. Mickey wouldn’t have done that neither… Meaning it could have been Donald or Goofy.

But none of them had heard what he said to Xion that day. He called and said those words himself.

_ I guess you can say… I’m the biggest nobody of them all… _

Riku forced the thought away. He was only making himself go crazy thinking about it. This may be nothing, perhaps some magic in the World That Never Was sent it here. It still didn’t put Riku’s mind at ease as he leaned his head against his bed frame. He felt too exhausted to push himself up. He decided it was best to ignore this and focus on being at home. After all, who knew what else may happen that will separate him and his friends.

Riku didn’t know of what happened after, only that he was standing in the world of darkness once again, desperately searching for the light.

Yet again, another bright orb in the sky blacked out.


	2. Chapter Two: Beginnings of Resilience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to Chapter 2! I've had this one completed since the beginning of the week and I've been focusing on bringing out Riku's emotion. This probably won't have the same hints of sadness as the first chapter, but I was really happy with the interaction in this chapter.

Locked away in the tainted dark corners of his bedroom was where Riku quietly stayed and pondered on his thoughts for the next two days. His actions could have been induced by the throbbing pain in his body that was weakening little by little every time he would heal himself as he gained his Magic Power back. Magic was still one skill that Riku had kept after the battle, along with his long, purple keyblade which was being held tightly in his hands. The one thing he wasn’t so lucky to keep?

His right mind.

Riku sat there and ran his aching fingers across the tips of the blade, relishing in the sharp duality that it created among his body. He felt an intense desire to slash it at something and hear a satisfying crunch. His thoughts began to feel more unhealthy, the state of mind he was in started to feel more like insanity the longer he sat there. The power he felt whenever he held the keyblade in his hand began to turn into more of an addiction than a comfort. Over years of relying on his brute strength to fight heartless on a daily basis, not fighting something for a change was different. Riku didn’t find himself liking this difference. Whenever he would summon his keyblade and gaze over it. It would occur to him, with a pit in his stomach, that there was nothing left to kill.

He was home.

So why did he feel so restrained?

The sodden clothes on his body left red marks across his skin that ached every time he moved. They were shriveled and winkled from the time he had spent on the cold floor of his bedroom. It made his scratch feel worse for the wear every time the wet clothing would press itself against the deep scratch. They were beginning to dry, but the cold dampness in Riku’s room kept it from airing out. Cold chills took over his body from time to time, Riku wrapped his arms around his torso as his sword vanished, letting out a small shiver as he struggled to find much-needed warmth. Riku didn’t know why he didn’t grab the covers on his bed, or even climbing onto it which would be much more comfortable. Maybe he hated the thought of a weight crushing his chest?

The weight that reminded him of the crushing darkness.

Riku was growing tired of the damp feeling on his skin and his eyes landed on the black robe in the corner. His mind was foggy as his cloudy blue eyes traced over the silver chains that lay scattered beside it. The odor that wafted off it had been teasing Riku nonstop since he tossed it across the room. The silver-haired boy was beginning to wish that he couldn’t smell anything at all. The new enhanced smell was becoming a nuisance, giving him more bad memories of the past. The smell made him feel nauseous. 

Riku didn’t like the thought of having to wear the robe again. He shuddered, thinking of it. His mind was plagued with multiple doubts, one of them telling Riku that he would turn back into Ansem if he slid it back on. Not that it was possible anymore, but how could he trust something that had appeared abruptly on his bed? For all Riku knew, this could be a ploy made up by a member of the organization that was still living to constrain his powers. Usually, he was much more strong-headed than he was right now. 

The aching of his raw skin from the dampness of the turtleneck was making Riku frustrated. Even if wearing the cloak wasn’t ideal, it would be_ much _more comfortable than this.

Riku pushed himself onto his feet. Walking wasn’t such a difficult task anymore, the pain was hardly noticeable besides his side. His legs wobbled at first before finding their place and Riku felt sturdy as he strode across the room swiftly and grabbed the robe, inhaling the musky scent that made him wrinkle his nose.

The thought occurred to him that it may be a wise idea to wash it first. If he would be stuck wearing this for who knows how long, then it was probably best that he didn’t burden Sora and Kairi with the filth that was painted all over it.

Riku walked down the stairs, clutching the robe in his hand as he opened the cabinets under the sink, pulling out a large, metal pan. It had been grey at one point, one could only tell by seeing the specks of silver in the brown rust that covered it. A few dents were engraved in it, telling wordless stories of times that Riku didn’t think of. It was what his mother had used to clean the laundry. Riku never paid much attention to her when she would take a piece of clothing and dunk it in the water. Now he wished he did as he filled it up with soapy water and dropped the robe inside. The robe stayed at the top before floating down into the soapy water. Biting his lip, Riku struggled to figure out what to do next.

Mickey had said something about Master Yen Sid making clothes for Sora, maybe he could get a new outfit? It sounded like a much better idea than having to wear, what now looked like a soapy, black rag. The clothes he wore now weren’t terribly bad, they just needed to be cleaned and dried for a bit before he could return to wearing it. Not to mention the cuts in the sides that needed stitching. There wasn’t any way Riku could fit into his smaller clothes, including that he sure as hell wouldn’t walk around nude for several hours.

The horrid thought was enough to motivate Riku to get down on his knees, putting his hands into the warm water and grabbing at the robe before scrubbing it together. The strong stench still stayed as the water turned into an ugly brown from the layers of grime that Riku had gotten while fighting. Riku’s hopes began to diminish after several attempted minutes of scrubbing. The smell didn’t get any better, and the cloak was looking more wrinkly and untidy the harder he worked. It looked much more like a trash bag now than a cloak. At last Riku let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his hand across his face.

“Now what?...” He could hear the thick annoyance in his voice as he pushed himself onto his feet, looking down at the water through narrowed eyes. He had the overwhelming desire to kick the tub across the room. 

Before he gave into his mind’s demands, Riku heard a loud knock at the door. The knock made Riku almost leap out of his skin. He had a hand grasping his chest tightly which let go and fell to his side as a sigh left his lips. Riku shot one last glance at the murky water with a scowl before turning around and opening the door.

After a few days of not being seen, Riku would have expected Sora, out of anybody to show up, demanding where he had been. It was odd behavior for Riku to stay holed up in his house. Overall, by now Riku would have at least given some sign that he was alive. But instead of Sora, it was Mickey. A happy smile appeared on the mouse’s face as he gazed up at Riku with sparkling eyes.

“Hey’a there, Riku! We’ve been worried about you!”

Mickey’s smile was contagious and a gentle smile appeared on Riku’s face as he opened the door even wider, welcoming Mickey in. Never would he have thought that he would be having a King walking into his home. It felt embarrassed as Mickey saw the state of the place that Riku failed to clean up. The large tup of water still sat in front of the sink inside, glass was still scattered around the living room. Not to mention the dusk that caked every surface, inducing a small sneeze out of the mouse as he gazed around.

“Sure is a nice place you have here! Are your parents at home?”

“Not exactly,” Riku faltered, his face growing hot. “I think they took off. Just don’t tell Sora or Kairi please, they would freak out.”

Mickey had a frown on his face as he looked at Riku sadly. Riku knew that above all that the king could keep a secret like a dying wish. Riku didn’t know if Mickey had parents of his own, he hadn’t gotten that personal with the King before. Mickey didn’t know that much about Riku either, and it began to feel silly. He and Mickey had been together for over a year yet they knew nothing about each other. Riku wasn’t intending on going too deep on his family if asked, it wasn’t likely that the King would push him to reveal so much.

A sudden thought slapped Riku in his face and he interrupted Mickey before the king could say anything else.

“Ah, right! I’m sorry about what happened, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Oh, it’s all right, Riku! I could tell you weren’t yourself.”

“I think…” Riku began before falling off. The thought that was leaving his mouth sounded more than crazy. He didn’t want to think about it either. It wasn’t uncommon for Riku to share his fears with Mickey. Sometimes, it was more difficult to speak his thoughts than others.

Riku cleared his throat and tried again. “I think my darkness is taking over again.”

Mickey’s eyes widened and he looked around before grabbing Riku’s hand and leading him into the living room. Whatever they were about to talk about, Riku could tell that Mickey was being cautious of prying ears. Mickey checked around the living room before sitting himself in the chair in front of Riku, who was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Mickey sitting in his father’s chair made Riku feel queasy. He tried to not let it get to him as Mickey gave an answer to his comment.

“Riku, I thought you had control of it!” 

“I did,” Riku agreed. “But after the battle with Xehanort, I started doing stuff without thinking. I think it may be because of him”

“You and Sora beat him, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Riku nodded. “But if certain people have nobodies, then maybe there is still another one of Xehanort’s nobodies out there up to no good. Maybe he’s trying to take control of me again and make me hurt Sora.”

Riku could hear the worry in his voice as he squeezed his hand into a fist anxiously. Mickey knew how important Sora was to Riku. The whole time they were together, Riku had done nothing but ramble on about how to was going to protect what matters.

_ And that is you, Sora. _

“Riku, I trust that whatever is going on, you will be able to fight it. You’ve gotten this far and now you and Sora are finally back together.”

“Yeah…” Riku muttered, his chest began to swell in relief. “You’re right… I’m home.”

Even though he was sitting on his sofa, home wasn’t the word that Riku would use to describe this place. Even the Island didn’t have that same warmth it once did. ‘Home’ was beginning to feel like a foreign word when it left his mouth. 

Maybe the darkness in the heart changed him more than he thought...

“The walls to the other worlds have been closed off once again. But your world is still connected to ours, so you will be able to visit us whenever you want. Yen Sid left a portal by the waterfall at the beach.”

“That would be nice!” Riku said, feeling eager for the change of mood. He relaxed into the cushion of the couch, feeling it wrap around his body so nicely that Riku felt he might just stay there for the rest of the day. “I was thinking of asking if Master Yen Sid could lend me a new outfit for a bit. Mine is a bit torn.”

“Of course!” Mickey answered before falling grim. “I happened to see what you were washing in the Kitchen before I showed up.”

A lump grew in Riku’s throat. This was the conversation he wanted to avoid. Mickey knew better than anyone how much Riku despised that cloak. After all, he had been along with Riku throughout his journey. Mickey was watching Riku curiously, patiently waiting for an answer. Mickey knew Riku well enough to know that the keyblade wielder had his own reasons.

“I found it on my bed when I got back,” Riku explained. “I threw it out in The World That Never Was… So I don’t know how it got here.”

Mickey was silent for a few moments before pushing himself off the chair. “Riku, I don’t want to cause any unnecessary stress, especially after what you’ve been through. But maybe there _ is _someone after you.”

“What should I do?” Riku asked, panic growing in his gut. It felt far too soon to be going on another journey. Even if the thought of being able to use his keyblade once more excited him, Riku wasn’t optimistic that Sora and Kairi were possibly in the thin beam of danger.

“I can’t say,” Mickey replied. “We can’t go to any other worlds with the Gummi Ship right now. The walls have become rock solid, and not even our Gummi Ship can get through unless it has the right technology.”

“So I should just stay here and wait?” Riku snorted. “What about Sora and Kairi? I don’t want them getting hurt.”

“Have you talked to them?” Mickey suggested. “Maybe they are getting signs too?”

“Not really,” Riku said, scratching his head. “I’ve been here the whole time. My last conversation with Sora didn’t exactly go well…”

“I saw Kairi on the way here, she said that Sora wasn’t sleeping well. Maybe it’s wise to go see him?”

“Yeah,” Riku agreed, concern for his friend taking over the rest of his worries. “I’ll go see to that. Then maybe I’ll swing by and grab a new garment.”

Riku led Mickey to the door and shut it behind them. The sun was blazing hot. Riku winced as it burned into his skin. It had been a while since he had felt the sun on his skin like this. It brought him back to the times where he and the others would spend days as hot as this in the ocean, playfully slapping water at each other with shrill laughter.

Riku shielded his eyes from the light and looked down at Mickey. The mouse’s face had fallen solemn once more as he stood off in the shadows, and he looked serious as he stared up and met Riku’s eyes.

“Be careful, Riku. The stars are beginning to go out, whatever is going on, it can’t be good.”

  
  


The sun had turned into a blazing ball of orange by the time Riku had made it to Destiny Islands on the boat. In the distance, he could see two figures sitting perched on the tree. He grunted and looked away, walking towards the wooden bridge and climbing onto it.

The sand was soft under his shows. Riku shivered as a gust of wind blew against his hair. He pulled it out of his eyes and looked out towards the sea. The sky was a burst of colors, red, purple, and blue. It reflected off the ocean, turning it into a patch of orange. The waves crashed against the shore softly, a song to Riku’s ears. Around the beach were leafy green plants. Several had bright red flowers growing of stems. A few birds circled around, digging into the nest of the trees, preparing themselves for the night.

Riku thought it was beautiful.

From there he could easily make out Sora and Kairi. Both of their shoulders were touching as the two watched the sunset. Riku tried to not feel envious as he stood, frozen in his spot. He could see Kairi’s shoulders shaking as she laughed. Her hand was grabbed onto Sora’s tightly, squeezing it. She lied her head on Sora’s shoulder, Riku could only guess that her eyes were shut peacefully as she took in the feeling of her best friend beside her. It was as if Riku hadn’t existed. His spot at the front of the tree was empty. 

It didn’t feel right barging into a moment like this.

He didn’t belong here. Not after what he had done to them.

Riku didn’t know if they took notice of him quickly spinning around and jumping off the bridge. He didn’t want them to see the pained look in his eyes when they looked at him. Whatever Sora was going through, it could wait until he was alone. Right now, Sora was with the person he cherished most. Riku didn’t want to ruin that moment by shoving his own despairs in Sora’s face. The brunette probably thought that they would all stay together from now on, it wouldn’t make Sora sleep any better if he knew that someone was out to get them.

Life’s quite not that simple, it would never be.

Riku didn’t notice Sora look behind him with hopeful eyes that turned into sorrow as they caught a glimpse of silver hair. A pain filled his friend's heart as he looked away from the girl beside him, forgetting about her completely as his heart yearned for another presence.

A name left his lips.

_ “Riku…” _

Back at the other Island, Riku found Mickey waiting for him with hopeful eyes. 

“Did ya talk to him?”

“Yes,” Riku lied. “I did.”

  


Master Yen Sid’s tower was like no other. The tower was surrounded by a powerful magic barrier that kept out any negative effects. It liked to teleport to different areas in the cosmosphere without warning.

It was the main reason why Riku never bothered to show up there.

Riku leaped out of the Gummi Ship after Mickey, following him up the staircase to the top of the tower.

Inside, seated at a wooden desk cluttered with papers, sat Yen Sid. He looked like he was expecting them as they walked in. One small snap of his fingers and the papers on his desk were tidied into a pile, looking as if they had never been untidy in the first place.

“Master, I’ve brought Riku,” Mickey greeted as he walked in. “He’s been having some trouble lately regarding the darkness in his heart.”

“Ah, yes, the keyblade wielder who gave in to the darkness.” Yen Sid’s face was expressionless as it gazed over Riku. He expected nothing other than a negative response for his unwise decisions. There wasn’t any more said as the Wizard’s eyes trailed over every small detail on his body. Beads of sweat began to form on Riku’s forehead as he began to feel exposed. It looked like Yen Sid was stripping away every layer of him and looking into his deepest thoughts. 

At last, the wizard finally spoke again.

“An unknown presence is troubling you, yes?”

“How did you know?” Riku rasped.

“Master Yen Sid isn’t someone to be taken lightly,” Mickey told him. “He helped Sora out during his journey when he looked for you.”

“I’m pleased to see that Sora didn’t finish his journey empty-handed,” Yen Sid nodded. “But I can see that the darkness in your heart is troubling you once again.”

“I thought I’d gained control of it,” Riku said wearily. “But I’ve begun lashing out at people and doing things without thinking. I think Xehanort may be behind it.”

“What you think is not always the true answer,” Yen Sid told him. “There are many nobodies of Xehanort, but none of them have to do with what is going on.”

“Then what is it?” Riku pressed.

“Patience. I know as much as you do about this darkness. What I can tell you is that nothing can be done until the gate is open.”

“Okay,” Riku replied glumly. “So, I just have to sit and wait with Sora at the Islands until we find out what this is?”

“It wouldn’t be wise to let Sora know of this trouble,” Yen Sid exclaimed. “This has nothing to do with him.”

“Then why me?” Riku demanded. “Why does this presence want to go after me so much?”

“Who knows,” Yen Sid replied. “It’s best not to get any more involved than there needs to be. Whatever it is, it must be attracted to the darkness in your heart. In the meantime, you could use a new outfit to help hide the darkness. The fairies are in the door to your right, they should be able to mend together an outfit to suit your capabilities.”

Riku straightened himself up before giving a small bow. “Thank you, Master Yen Sid. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“As it is you,” Yen Sid replied. Even though there wasn’t a smile on his face, Riku could see a twinkle in his eyes as he turned.

As Riku entered the door, he was greeted by three older women. They had large wings on their backs and each had dresses on of a different color: Red, Blue, and Green.

“Hello, hello!” The blue colored one greeted as Riku walked in. There were kind smiles on their faces as they walked over and circled Riku. Riku stood still as they looked over him, slightly murmuring in closed tongues. He wasn’t going to admit it out loud, but these fairies were making him oddly uncomfortable. 

“This must be the boy that Sora was talking about!” the red fairy gawked at last with a spin. “I’m so glad to see that you’re okay!”

“Thanks,” Riku said awkwardly. “And you are?”

“Flora,” the red-dressed fairy said. “This one over here is Merryweather,” she said, pointing to a shorter fairy with black hair and a blue dress. “And the other one is Fauna.”

“You must be here for a new outfit!” Fauna said excitedly. “With a twidle of our wands, us three can make an outfit that suits your needs!”

“Ah, I can just envision one now that would be perfect for you!” Merryweather said happily. “You are in need of a haircut. I can barely see your eyes!”

“I think my hair is fine…” Riku said weakly, taking a step back. The fairies looked like they hadn’t heard him as Flora made her way to his back. With a wave of her wand, a chair appeared behind Riku and he let out a small noise of discomfort as he tripped over the leg of the chair, his body collapsing in it. 

“Sit here. We will be done in a jiffy!” she told him as she stopped to stand behind him.

Riku’s eyes opened wide in panic. This was the absolute _ last _thing he had expected. Suddenly, a new outfit didn’t seem like a good idea… It was too late for him to say anything. Riku could feel three sharp, metal scissors digging into his scalp and he watched as his long, silver hair fluttered to the ground beside him. A lump grew in Riku’s throat as he remembered his younger self looking at himself in the mirror, happily exclaiming how he wanted to have long hair forever.

Now the hair he had grown out for the past three years was being chopped off by three women who looked like they were silently arguing in which style they wanted it to be. Riku fought back a groan as he squeezed his eyes shut, silently pleading that this would end. He would have trusted Kairi of all people to cut his hair off, not these three. If he had as bad a haircut as Sora did, then he had no choice _ but _to hide behind a cloak again.

After several minutes the clipping finally stopped. “All done!” a voice exclaimed from behind him.

A mirror was shoved in his hand and Riku let out a small gasp at his reflection. It had been a while since he had shorter hair. His hair now hung just below his ears. The fairies hadn’t given it much more other than a few layers. His bangs had been chopped and Riku could see everything much clearer. It felt all too new and overwhelming. Riku looked down at the silver stands littered on the floor and fought his eyes that were beginning to burn.

He looked far less young than he did a few minutes ago. 

And less broken.

“Thank you,” he sputtered as he pushed himself up from the chair which disappeared from behind him, along with his cut hair. “I like it.”

“It suits you!” Fauna exclaimed cheerfully. “As for the clothes…”

“Aha!” Merryweather snipped as she flung her wand, a flame of white washing around Riku’s body. Riku’s body was developed into warmth and he stared down at his body which was hidden by a white glow. As the light faded, Riku saw that his outfit had changed entirely.

His turtleneck had been transformed into a long, black, short-sleeved jacket that didn’t reveal his bellybutton. A bright yellow bandana hung loosely around his neck. He had yellow tattoos on both his sleeves of a crown, looking oddly familiar to the one that Sora wore around his neck.

He had a black hood on the back of the jacket. Along the jacket was bright yellow, plaid designs.

His baggy pants were now dark grey jeans that comfortably hugged his legs. At the bottom of his jeans, the cuffs were yellow. He had black combat boots that ran up to the bottom of his pants that looked more durable than the shoes he had been wearing before.

“It fits him, doesn’t it?” Merryweather asked, turning to the other two.

The others swiftly agreed. Riku wasn’t sure if he could get his voice out to thank them. This outfit felt much nicer than the other one, he felt more himself. This new change of style made Riku feel like a whole new person. Stupidly, it felt possible enough that he could leave the darkness behind and live a life full of light. When Riku found his voice, it sounded much weaker than he anticipated.

“Thank you.”

“It’s our pleasure!” Flora chirped. “Tell Sora hello for us! Have a safe journey!”

Mickey was standing by the door when Riku turned around. He looked Riku up and down, looking like he was satisfied with the new outfit.

“You sure do look much better, Riku!” Mickey said. “I should tell you that these aren’t just any clothes. These clothes have special powers in them. You must be careful.”

“I will,” Riku said as a chuckle bubbled in his throat. “I don’t even recognize myself anymore.”

“That’s because you’ve been disguised as Ansem for so long,” Mickey reminded him. “But this is _ you _now Riku. 

“Yeah,” Riku nodded, crossing his arms together and looking at Mickey with a determined smile. “I’ve never been so thankful to be me…”


	3. Chapter Three: Falling

The sky had grown dark, displaying no sign of reconciliation that flowed throughout the breeze prior to Riku’s return. Immersed rumbles, epithetical to thunder, caused the ground to shudder. The darkened sky lit up like a firework show in reach of the sharp, yellow thunderbolts that danced across the sky, following the rhythm of the thunder as it followed. The large and atramentous clouds promised heavy rain as the thunder’s harmony, together with powerful winds that would be enough to snap limbs that belonged to trees, abandoning them along the coastline.

Riku observed the sky with astonishment as he stood in front of his house. There was a dim chestnut flash from the Gummi Ship as it retreaded into the murky fog without a trace. The light reflected in Riku’s glistening, ocean-blue eyes as another long strip of lightning jolt transversely along the sky, colliding with another that appeared right after it. The lightning bolts were followed by an immense explosion that made Riku’s gut sway uneasily as he felt the sand under his feet rattle.

The awfully humid heat from earlier was chilled by a blast of salt-filled wind that was blowing from the sea. It swirled around Riku’s ears, and he felt bewildered by how nice it felt to feel a warm breeze against his bare neck that had always been hidden by his long and silky hair. His head felt considerably lighter, it would take a while for him to get used to not having as much hair on his head. There would be no more hiding in the darkness, something that felt more comforting whenever he gave into it. From now on, Riku had to keep his head up and walk into the light; The light that shines even brighter than the lightning bolts in the sky.

The islanders had rain showers on Destiny Islands more often than not, although thunderstorms like this were almost rare. The climate on the Island was pretty calm, it never grew cold. Snow was something that Riku had only witnessed in stories until he left the Island. Storms like this, Riku lived for, apart from that this storm made him feel far different from thrilled. It wasn’t his stress from earlier or worrisome thoughts about Sora, it was the feeling in his gut that something malevolent was going to take place.

Another boisterous strike of thunder filled his ears. Riku stiffened as he felt the rumble run in every place of his body, causing his bones to groan and shudder, joining in along with the rhythm of the storm. Riku’s heart felt like a metronome, beating against his rib cage four times before the noise muffled into silence.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as Riku caught his breath and looked out behind him towards the sea. The waves were roughly crashing against the sandy shore, slowly but surely edging its way closer to where Riku stood. Looking further out past the sea, nothing more could be seen but rolling black clouds. Another flash of lightning danced across the sky, the metronome in Riku’s heart skipped a beat as it lit up the ferocious-looking sky.

Whatever had sent a warning through Riku's body next, it wasn’t the storm, nor the lights of the houses down the street flickering to darkness in sync as another flash of lightning illuminated the huts, showing nothing but empty air.

It was the feeling of being watched.

A teardrop belonging to the sky plopped onto Riku’s cheek, proceeding down and dripping onto his open hand. The rain began to fall more steadily as he unlocked the door to his house and stumbled inside, glancing once more behind him. The wooden door noisily groaned as Riku pushed it shut. Goosebumps rose along his arms as Riku twisted about and studied the desolate kitchen.

A substantial essence hung in the air. It wasn’t the same putrid stench that made Riku cover his nose. The smell was far different. It smelt of robust and acidic juice; something that came from nothing other than a paopu fruit, along with saltiness belonging to the sea. It reminded Riku of the blue ice cream that Roxas and his friends would share on top of the clock tower.

Salty, but also sweet.

It sent a quiver through his bones as Riku felt around in the dark for the light switch. Once his finger hit a bump on the wall, Riku switched it on and found the darkness still hugging him. A noise developed in his throat as he turned it back off, then back on. The night lingered. A bolt of lightning sparked in the sky outside the windows, enlightening the house, further pushing Riku closer to the edge.

_ Great _, Riku felt like saying out loud. His hand was beginning to grow warm. It groped vacate air for several moments without hesitation. His hand begged to feel the weight of his purple keyblade. It was sending an alarm throughout Riku’s body, making him feel anxious as he scowled and contrived his hand to stay at his side. The smell needed to be the only thing on his mind.

Whatever the aroma was, it felt all too familiar to Riku. It wasn’t there before he left with Mickey. He would have noticed it at some point. After all, he had been sitting in his house for three days straight. The tingling in his hand became overwhelming, and Riku gave in to his body’s demands. There was a small flash as a heavyweight large key collapsed into his hand. Riku’s fingers wrapped around the handle tightly as he took a step forward.

There was another clap of thunder as lightning lit up the kitchen through the windows. Riku grunted when the ground trembled beneath him as he spotted a figure standing in the doorway to the living room. He narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth tightly together as he swung the keyblade in the air with his right hand. His left hand was held out, showing his open palm in its usual fashion. Riku found it to be the quickest stance when it came to a 1V1 battle. He had taught himself it as a kid, learning the upper hand of how quickly he could react and be ready for any move thrown at him.

“Who’s there!” he growled in warning, his voice ascending above the pounding rain. Riku was giving this figure one chance to speak out before he dashed forward and shoved the character to the ground. This wasn’t a heartless, nor any other creature. This was a human. It should have been easy to notice when he first walked in. Riku balanced his legs, preparing himself for his leap forward. Power surged through his body, going into his arms, a relishing excitement that made him feel satisfied.

“Riku?” A velvety voice murmured out from the darkness. The sound was barely audible, laced with a tinge of fear.

Riku froze, his mouth hanging open as the keyblade abruptly vanished from his hand. The power in his body turned to ice, holding him prisoner in his place. Riku knew that voice from anywhere. Another bolt of lightning flashed, lighting up the other young boy. The brunette’s spiky hair stuck out more than anything. Riku’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a sigh of reprieve.

“Sora.”

In the obscurity, Sora’s features were hidden. But the beams of light through the windows made the perceivable lineaments stand out. Sora’s hair was matted up in tangles. Large visible black bags hung under the boy’s eyes, which were watery and red in the light’s reflection. His eyes were full of pain and fear. Sora was trembling as another clap of thunder crashed outside. A pit grew in Riku’s stomach at the realization that Sora’s troubles were a high tier above his own. He absolutely hated, more than anything, seeing Sora suffer. Now, it was almost unbearable to not rush forward and hold his friend close, taking the burdens onto himself. Riku’s legs stayed frozen to the ground, not having yet thawed from the shock of the state Sora was in. All he could do was stand there and watch Sora through blue eyes filled with concern and helplessness.

“Sora?”

“I was worried about you,” Sora mumbled, wrapping his arms around his chest in comfort. “I was worried…” Sora’s voice choked, and Riku couldn’t see the boy’s face, but he could hear his broken sobs as Sora pressed on, speaking words from his heart. “I was worried that you had gone back to the darkness!”

“Of course not, Sora,” Riku consoled, taking a few steps forward as he reached out a hand towards Sora in an attempt to pull the boy close. Sora had invariably been fearful of bad storms. He would go about pretending that the thunder didn’t upset him when they were young. Riku constantly was shaken awake to find that the brunette had snuck into his house and climbed into bed next to him. To Sora, Riku was his unbreakable shield- Although now, his shield had a large crack that was about to break. Riku was the one person that Sora could effortlessly find comfort in whenever he felt upset. It had always been like that; however, this time was different.

As Riku’s unsteady hand grew adjacent to Sora’s shoulder, the brunette flinched away from Riku’s touch, trembling much more than he was before. A whimper escaped Sora’s mouth, choking back another sob as his eyes stared up at Riku in fear. Riku’s hand was hesitant, gripping empty air. It was frozen for a few moments before weakly falling to his side. 

Was Sora scared of him? It had never been like this, not even when he gave into the darkness. Riku opened his mouth to say something, but his voice was caught in his throat, not daring to come out of fear of how weak he may sound. The hurt Riku felt now was different from the hurt he felt all those times before. This was a thick agony that was expanding into his lungs. It scorched the tiny veins that ran to his heart, bringing further pain to his chest.

“Then why are you hiding things from me?” Sora demanded, his voice appearing desperate. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Riku wasn’t conversant if Sora was talking about his omitted parents or the cloak that was still waterlogged a few feet away from them. It wasn’t strenuous to know that Sora had seen both. Riku gnashed his teeth tightly together to keep his sudden spurt of anger down as he squeezed his fisted hand to his side.

“It didn’t concern you,” Riku rumbled flatly.

“Of course, it does!” Sora yelled. “You’re my best friend!”

“Well some things are better left unsaid,” Riku retorted, “What’s wrong, Sora? This isn’t like you.”

It was entirely unlike Sora to be this poignant and anxious. The brunette ordinarily could keep his emotions in check, but he usually never lashed out at anyone like this. This felt all too wrong, something about Sora didn’t feel right. As he stood here, Riku had the gut-feeling that this was his Sora. There wasn’t a feature on him that was out of place.

“This isn’t like you,” Sora hissed back. “I saw the cloak. You’re planning on turning back to the darkness, right?”

“Of course not!” Riku cried, hearing the fear on the edge of his voice. He couldn’t hold down his undeniable horror at the accusation. Sora had meant it. There was no sign of hesitation or remorse after it left Sora’s mouth as he stood. His black frame was stiff. The pounding rain and thunder were loud enough to block out Sora’s panting. 

Riku’s eyes trailed towards the floor. He noticed that his fists were shaking violently in writhing anger. It wasn’t anger towards Sora, it was anger towards himself. Anger that he hadn’t been there when Sora needed him. Anger at his weakness that so easily threw him onto the path to darkness. The blame lay on him for the trauma he was putting his friend through.

“It suits you. I found you much better before you threw Kairi and me away for some power.” Sora’s voice turned into a sneer. “Go, then. Go back to the Dark Realm where you belong!”

Sora staggered forward and pushed his way past him, leaving Riku stunned as he heard the door open and slam behind him. His eyes stayed glued to the spot where Sora had stood a few seconds earlier. The sound of his friend’s cries still echoed through Riku’s ears, making him wince as he caught his breath.

The thunder was loud in his ears, way too loud. It sounded animistic. The sound echoed in his ears, leaving a loud ringing noise that blocked out Riku’s own yell of frustration as he spun around and threw his fist at the wall without thinking.

Riku tried to tell himself as a sharp pain washed over his hand that Sora could be on edge, being back at home was probably too overwhelming after being gone for several years. The undeniable venom in Sora’s voice proved that this was something other than being overwhelmed. This wasn’t some trick being played on him, this was much worse. Something had happened to his friend and made him lose his head. 

Riku slid down against the wall, panting for breath as he laid his head on the dresser beside him. Pieces of drywall littered the ground beside him. A musky smell wafted from where his fist had made contact with the wall. Riku hadn’t meant to put a hole in the wall, but it didn’t matter anyway. This place was as good as an abandoned house that he sought shelter in, The thunder wasn’t loud enough to blare out the questions burning in his mind.

Had Sora really meant that?

Did he really belong in the darkness?

Riku’s mouth felt dry as he squeezed his eyes shut, relishing in the darkness as he listened to the rumbling thunder. This new change didn’t excite him anymore. He was hoping that with the loss of most of his hair, he would feel like a new person and be able to forget the pain of the past. It became apparent to Riku that no matter how hard he tried, it would forever define him. 

Riku pushed himself back up, desperately needing to get away from Sora’s lingering scent. The thoughts that were plaguing his mind made him feel nauseous. He walked up the stairs, hearing each step groan as he put his weight on them. The roaring thunder still rang in his ears.

In his bedroom, Riku found himself standing at his window, his knees collapsed under him as he rested his chin on an open palm. Lightning was still dancing across the sky, shedding ounces of light on the ocean. Riku felt his chest leap as he saw the rolling tides. The waves looked much higher and closer than before. Riku’s feeling in his gut became overwhelming, and the beating rain didn’t seem to be letting up, leaving the Island vulnerable. 

_ If those waves get any higher, then they’ll crash right into us! _ Riku thought to himself. He needed to go warn the islanders before they were caught in this! Riku pushed himself up and spun around, catching a glimpse of a small shadow fading in the dark.

“It looks like the tables have turned.” The voice was as gruff as the roaring thunder.

The voice belonged to nobody that Riku knew, yet it made his body feel numb. The voice echoed around the room, showing no hint of where they stood. 

Riku’s vision was blurry as he slapped his hand towards the presence he felt at his left side. The keyblade summoned in Riku’s hand as his eyes landed on a dark cloaked figure in front of the doorway. The cloak didn’t look like it belonged to the organization; instead, it was something else.

A sweet and robust scent of paopu fruit hit Riku’s nose. A sick feeling rose in his stomach as he was brought back to his fight with Sora several moments earlier.

Whoever it was, it shared the same scent as Sora.

There was no way that person from earlier was Sora. It was someone else.

The voice was low and unrecognizable as it gave a small wave, summoning a long, silver keyblade.

“A keyblade?” Riku gasped.

“Have you really given up on the light, Riku?” The cloaked figure asked, taking a step forward.

“No,” Riku growled, aiming his keyblade to the person’s chest. “I side with the light now!”

“Yet, you have chosen to walk the path to dawn. There is no middle road that doesn’t crumble off in the middle. The road to darkness is several steps ahead of you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Riku sneered. “And it sounds like you’ve had your own fair share of darkness!”

“It may be,” the dark figure chuckled. “But with nobody left to turn to, that darkness in your heart is begging to be used. Haven’t you felt it in your fingertips?”

A flash of pain rushed through Riku’s hand, and he grunted as he clutched his hand tightly, a small groan escaping his lips. The keyblade fell to the floor, disappearing as the warmth from its user washed away. His hand was shaking uncontrollably. Riku fought down a yell as he let out a shaky breath, the agony in his hand, washing away.

“No! I promised I would leave that path behind long ago!”

“Once you’ve gone, there’s no way back. Just a warning, you can only hold back so long before you give in.” the man reminded him. “All there is left is to keep going. Your friend even said that it’s best for you, didn’t he?”

“Shut up!” Riku roared as he dashed forward, summoning his keyblade once more and leaping in the air.

Aiming right, he would be able to slash down and do a great deal of damage to this man. Power surged through his body, a satisfying feeling. It was what his body had been pleading for all along. His muscles were massive and bulging as he swung the keyblade down with all the power that it contained. As his keyblade touched the man’s cloak, everything froze. The silver-haired boy’s body hung still in the air as his eyes anxiously watched the cloak in front of him fade away into darkness.

He was floating in darkness. The keyblade in the boy’s hand was switched out with empty air. Riku gasped for breath as he snapped his head to look around. Wherever he was, it looked like this individual was up for a game.

“Let me out of here,” his voice gurgled, choking as the darkness surged through his mouth like water. He put a hand over his mouth, choking on the night as heat ran down his throat and through his body. It became slightly more natural to breathe. As strength returned to Riku’s body, his breaths stayed labored.

“Why, Riku! Is it true? Do you really fear the darkness still?”

“No,” Riku growled menacingly as he found his breath, “Now let me out of here so I can finish what you started.”

“After wearing a blindfold for so long, I’m surprised to see that it’s diluted your senses! It’s right in front of you.”

“Huh?” There was nothing that lingered in the darkness. Riku tried to use his smell technique, finding it falls flat just before the border. Before he gave up and let out another protest, Riku’s eyes caught something. It filled him with the familiar feeling of dread that he would always get when he saw those gold eyes.

_ Xehanort! _

“I’m not him, or anything other than him if that gives a hint,” the voice chuckled.

Riku didn’t hear the voice at all. What he was focused on was how he was being sucked into the gold depths of Xehanort’s eyes. It filled his body with ice, making his head revert to old memories that he had made himself forget. 

It made Riku’s head throb as he grabbed at it, a small groan growing in his throat. The pain worsened and his hands tangled in his hair, pulling at it until they became long strands that ran down his back.

**Once you become him, you can never turn back.**

“Did you think it would really be that easy to turn away from the darkness?” A female voice joined in. “It’s become a part of you now.”

A scream bubbled up in Riku’s throat. Before it forced its way out, his eyes snapped open, and the silver-haired boy found himself on his knees across his bedroom. 

His eyes were burning. As he opened his mouth to breath, no air came. Riku’s mouth made a wheezing noise, exploiting that he had been winded far harsher than he intended. It would have filled Riku with embarrassment for showing so much weakness and emotion. His anger had become his weakness, fogging his mind and senses. 

It wasn’t as much an enemy as his own mind.

The figure still stood in the same place, a hand to its side as it laughed wholeheartedly. “Come on, Riku. I thought you were stronger than that.” The voice had a mocking tone in it, making Riku’s blood run cold as his body flinched back.

_ Look who’s winning! _Sora’s voice rang out in his head, full of frustration. Riku could envision a younger Sora watching him through fierce eyes as he got down even lower and prepared for another attack. It was a memory that only Riku and Sora could recall. Riku had used it before to draw Sora out of Roxs during their fight, so why....

_ Why was this stranger dragging out his most painful memories? _

Nobody besides Sora himself could have recalled that moment. Not even Roxas would have, there was no way that he could escape the boy’s body. The cloaked figure began to sound more like Sora, the further Riku dug into it. The keyblade, the small frame, even Riku, could distinct the teasing as Sora. Someone had to be getting in his head, there was no way someone as kind as Sora would turn into someone this vile.

Riku needed to get to the bottom of this.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “What have you done to Sora?”

The figure laughter died away into pure silence, a gloved hand raised up, looking like it was giving the air a high five. Through the darkness of the stranger’s hidden face, Riku was positive that he could see a smile. Outside, the rain sounded like it had stopped, but a more monstrous noise had taken its place. It caught Riku’s attention as he spun snapped his head to look out the window, his chest tightened as he noticed the water was farther past the shoreline, coming up near his house. The waves were pushing it slowly, but inevitably, closer. The wind sounded like a cry from the Island itself, showing it’s pain and misery to its hosts. Riku heard the sound of glass breaking and spun around, finding the place where the black figure had once stood empty.

“Hey! Get back here!” He yelled as he stumbled down the stairs. 

His keyblade was automatically back in his hand without having to think. It was pulling him away from the door and back towards the living room. Riku grunted as he glanced in that direction, spotting a smaller black creature. Upon first glance, Riku could tell that this wasn’t the cloaked figure he was looking for. 

A heartless.

The first inhuman thing besides his mind that Riku had come across and fought. These monsters sprouted from the darkness in people’s hearts. 

“But… What are they doing on the Island?” Riku gawked out loud before grounding himself as one of the heartless swiped at him with its small black claws. The keyblade wielder defended it with his keyblade before slashing at it. The heartless let out an agonizing screech and collapsed to the ground in black, fading muck. The other heartless were closing up on Riku. He yelled as he rushed forward, taking out three in one attack.

As Riku spun to attack another one several feet behind him, he spotted that several more were rising from the ground. The room became full in an instant as the heartless that were there before doubled in numbers.

It occurred to Riku that this was a waste of time. He felt a liquid running down his arm and noticed the black liquid that was smeared on his clothes. Since when did he become so weak? 

Riku heard a cry from outside. It was loud and agonizing, far worse than anything that Riku had heard before. He instantly forgot about everything around him as the call sent a signal to his brain, sorting out through every precious memory and bringing one person to his mind.

“Sora!” he yelled as he forgot about the heartless and made a mad run towards the door.

The waves were crashing against the beach, which had risen even closer to the homes. Riku saw neighbors anxiously staring out their windows, watching the oncoming storm. In the distance, he could see two figures: one being pinned down by the other.

“Get off of him!” Riku lost track of his vision, knowing nothing but the fact that at that moment, he felt a rush of possessiveness. Power washed over his body and expanded to his arms, sending him hurtling forward at full speed. All Riku could see was a blur of movements as he instantly appeared in front of the squabble. His hand grabbed the cloaked figure’s wrist tightly. Riku heard a crack and the person let out a yell of pain as he struggled to pull away.

Sora’s eyes were half-open as they watched Riku. His face relaxed as they met Riku’s fierce eyes and slipped shut.

“What did you do to him?” Riku demanded, grabbing the cloaked figure's hood in his hand in an attempt to pull it off.

The stranger made a noise of pain as he reached up, grabbing Riku’s hand in a tight hold with an astonishing amount of strength. Riku gasped as he tried to fight back, finding his arm shoved painfully behind his back. He was forced to look down at Sora.

“I took away what was originally mine,” he snickered. “Don’t worry, he will still wake. But something will be missing.”

_ His heart? _ Riku panicked.

“Give it back!” He sneered, kicking the man away with his free leg and summoning his keyblade, holding it to the man’s chest. “Or I’ll make you.”

“Oh, boy, you are clueless. Do you think I would want a heart as weak as his?” 

Riku let out a yell as he pushed himself forward, shoving the keyblade in the man’s chest. The man stood still, looking as if being impaled in the chest hadn’t affected him. He reached out a hand, grabbing Riku’s wrist tightly. A gasp flew from Riku’s mouth as his keyblade instantly disappeared.

That same chill from earlier when he was touched came flooding back. Riku wanted to flinch away, but his body wouldn’t move. His mind was empty besides a few words that wrote themselves out.

**Maybe I’ll hold off on your precious friend if you agree to play a game?**

“Mind manipulation,” Riku growled as soon as the voice disappeared, realizing what had interrupted their earlier battle. “Stay out of my head!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to do that. It would ruin the fun! Besides,” the cloak pulled Riku to his chest. Riku’s chest tightened as he was brought into the tight embrace. He wanted to move, more than anything he would have loved to summon his keyblade and maul this man to death. But his body was ignoring his demands. With disgust, Riku realized that he was giving too easily into this hug. His eyes were burning, yet he didn’t know why he felt so much emotion. 

“After being alone for so long, what your heart yearns for is human connection. I’ll be the only one who truly knows you, to others, you’ll feel like an outsider.”

“What do you mean?” Riku’s voice faltered in between words, growing more slurred and quiet with every breath. When did he become so tired? His head rested against the man’s shoulder. It felt oddly like a pillow that was full of the softest feathers. The chilly air didn’t feel as cold as the warm body pressed up against Riku’s. The roaring from the ocean faded into silence as the sky became peaceful.

Riku couldn’t say anything more after that. There was a soft voice in his ear as his eyes slipped shut, wisping him away. The arms around his torso disappeared. The only thing he could see was darkness. 

It wrapped itself around his body. Riku wasn’t filled with fear, only a strange feeling of comfort. He could still feel the warmth of the body he was pressed against. There wasn’t any sort of light in the distance. Seeing only darkness would have filled Riku with uncertainty. Right now, Riku would have felt fine if the light had abandoned him after all. As he slipped away, he saw an image of fearful blue eyes. The one person who could be in danger at that very moment and Riku was stuck in this darkness.

Out of his mouth came one last word, sounding more like a plea than a name.

_“Sora…”_

**The game has started.**

**But only will it end when darkness becomes your new light.**

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I apologize for the lack of uploads. This week has been very difficult for my family, my great grandfather passed away, so I’ve been sitting at his bedside and now I’m with my grandma at her house. I should be able to write still, but it may be a few weeks before a new part is posted. My family's been getting tons of bad news lately! I will still get chapters out to you every few weeks and I don't plan on giving up.  
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this story! There will be some heavy Riku angst in this, as we don’t get to focus on his inner mind right after the second game, and I want to focus on his mental struggles since in the third game, we see that Riku has come at peace with himself. I wanted to give him some slight PTSD from joining the darkness and being possessed by Anthem, since it would make sense over how young he is.


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